The invention is a clamp which clamps to the extruded gunwale of an aluminum boat or to the square gunwale of a pontoon boat. The clamp can be used in conjunction with a fishing rod holder which mounts on top of the clamp and swivels in any direction, or it can be used independently to hold the downrigger board used in salmon fishing to the boat.
Clamps presently on the market are much larger and clamp to the side of the boat rather than the gunwale. Major advantages of the present invention over the prior art are that it can be attached without drilling holes into the boat and without scratching the paint, because the gunwale is unpainted.
Rod holders presently on the market have steel pins which fit into any of several holes, thus allowing for eight different positions. An advantage of the present invention is that it can swivel in a 360 degree arc and thus can be put into any position desired.